Wade, et al vs. Wood

Case Background

On March 17, 2022, Plaintiff Nicole Jennings Wade and others filed a Defamation lawsuit in the United States District Court, Georgia Northern(Case number: 1:22cv1073). Judge Michael L. Brown presided over the case.

Cause

Nicole Jennings Wade, Jonathan D. Grunberg, and G. Taylor Wilson practiced law at L. Lin Wood, P.C. (LLW PC) until February 14, 2020. After establishing their own firm, Wade, Grunberg & Wilson, LLC, they faced a series of threatening communications and public accusations from Wood. Initially, the parties resolved their disputes through three separate agreements, including the February 17 Agreement and the March 17 Agreement, which outlined fee allocations for resolved cases. Wood later violated these agreements, making defamatory statements about the plaintiffs to his approximately 850,000 Telegram followers. Between May and June 2021, Wood published multiple posts accusing the plaintiffs of criminal extortion, claiming they attempted to extort $1.5 million from him through threats and intimidation. He reinforced his accusations by citing his 43 years of legal experience and encouraged his followers to file complaints with the Georgia Bar against the plaintiffs.

Injuries

Wood’s defamatory statements severely damaged the plaintiffs’ professional reputations within the legal community and the public sphere. His Telegram posts, which received over 1,135,200 combined views, portrayed the plaintiffs as criminals to their existing and potential clients, professional peers, and the general public. These accusations directly attacked their integrity and fitness to practice law, leading to harassment and threats from Wood’s followers. His statements prompted followers to send threatening messages via email, telephone, and social media, creating genuine fears for the plaintiffs’ safety. The public nature of these accusations on social media platforms caused immediate and lasting damage to their professional standing and ability to practice law effectively.

Damages

The plaintiffs suffered substantial financial losses when Wood refused to honor the agreed-upon payments from settled cases. Under the March 17 Agreement, they lost a liquidated sum of $932,949.99, plus additional percentages from other case settlements worth at least $165,000. The defamatory statements resulted in a significant loss of business opportunities, as potential clients questioned their professional integrity. They also endured considerable emotional distress from public harassment and threats of physical violence. Additionally, the plaintiffs accumulated substantial legal expenses in their efforts to enforce the settlement agreements and protect their professional reputations. The widespread circulation of Wood’s false accusations on social media platforms created ongoing financial and professional hardships that continued to impact their law practice.

Key Arguments and Proceedings

Legal representation

  • Plaintiff(s): Nicole Jennings Wade | Jonathan D. Grunberg | G. Taylor Wilson
    • Counsel for Plaintiff: Andrew Mabon Beal| Milinda Lynn Brown | Jonathan D. Grunberg | Taylor Wilson
  • Defendant(s): Lin Wood
    • Counsel for Defendants: Ibrahim Reyes| Jackson Alexander Griner | John Patrick Exum, II | Lin Wood, Jr. | R. Chris Harrison

 Claims

The plaintiffs filed multiple claims against Wood, including defamation per se based on his false accusations of criminal conduct. They pursued breach of contract claims regarding the March 17 Agreement, which Wood violated through non-payment and disparagement. The lawsuit also included claims for fraud and fraudulent inducement related to Wood’s misrepresentations during settlement negotiations. The plaintiffs sought emergency injunctive relief to stop Wood’s ongoing defamatory statements, which the court granted and the Georgia Court of Appeals affirmed. They requested punitive damages based on Wood’s willful and malicious conduct in publishing false statements with knowledge of their falsity. Additionally, the plaintiffs sought attorneys’ fees under O.C.G.A. § 13-6-11, citing Wood’s bad faith and stubbornly litigious conduct in refusing to retract his defamatory statements despite their written demand for retraction on March 8, 2022.

Defense

Wood presented seven key defenses. First, he claimed that the plaintiffs’ complaint failed to state a claim upon which relief could be granted. Second and third, he challenged both jurisdiction and venue as improper. Fourth, he argued that the plaintiffs’ claim for punitive damages violated his Fourteenth Amendment right to due process, citing several Supreme Court cases to support a limitation on punitive damages. Fifth, he asserted that any statements he allegedly made were either true or substantially true. Sixth, he maintained that the statements in question constituted protected opinion.

Throughout his response, Wood systematically denied most allegations in the complaint but admitted to certain basic facts, such as his status as a licensed attorney in Georgia and that the plaintiffs had practiced law together in a firm called Wade, Grunberg & Wilson, LLC. He acknowledged making certain communications but denied the plaintiffs’ characterization of these communications. Wood also admitted to discussing the plaintiffs’ lawsuit during his campaign but denied the remaining allegations about these discussions. He confirmed receiving a retraction demand from the plaintiffs but denied the accusations of defamation and rejected their claims for damages.

Jury Verdict

On August 16, 2024, the jury awarded a total of $4,500,000 in favor of plaintiffs Nicole Jennings Wade, Jonathan D. Grunberg, and G. Taylor Wilson in their defamation lawsuit against defendant L. Lin Wood. The verdict included $3,750,000 in actual damages for defamation and $750,000 in litigation expenses. The judgment was entered accordingly.

Court Documents:

Available Upon Request